Our busy Agricultural Department rises to the challenge!

Our flexible professional team has successfully adapted to the new Coronavirus order of business for the farming community we serve.

Our Agricultural department has been adjusting to these new conditions with home working and preparing for our busiest period without face-to-face meetings. We are having to arrange annual stocktaking valuations and Basic Payment Scheme claims via emails or telephone or zoom which has its challenges and it is also a shame to miss what are important times to talk over any other matters that may be arising for clients.

We have now completed the summer grazing lets for 2020 with the auction having to be conducted by tender not auction perhaps for the first time in its 125 year history. This year we have agreed to lets on close to 1,000 acres privately and by the auction tender.

We are continuing with various land sales with three sales agreed since the ‘lockdown’, more due to come to the market, and conveyancing continuing for others agreed previously. It is early days to know how the current crisis will affect the land market but it often rises in times of economic uncertainty because of its status as a safe asset.

We are also continuing, albeit remotely, with various other work including advising on numerous tenancy issues, negotiating cropping licences, dealing with compensation claims for utility works, dealing with the Environment Agency over flooding during the winter, planning advice, valuations and much more.

It is often not appreciated the relatively isolated conditions our farming clients operate in but in these strange times, this is allowing them to continue in earnest to ensure the food supply continues. Farming is entering a period of fundamental change following Brexit and increasing opportunities for environmental and climate change schemes. This current crisis will provide an added reason for agricultural productivity to increase and adapt.

We are here to assist farmers to appraise their businesses to ensure they are in a position to deal with the change that occurs and to that end, we have welcomed Kate Urry to our team with her wealth of management and environmental experience.

George R Harrison MRICS FAAV

Agriculture & Farm Businesses

Tel: 01507 522222
Email: george@rober-bell.org

Comments

Commenting is not available for this blog.